Container



June 18, 1940.

S. P. McDANlELS GONTAINER Filed March 5. 1938 /NvE/vron 5. R MDAN/ELS `R mm l Arron/vir Flc. 2.

Patented June 18 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER Application March 5, 1938,l Serial No. 194,047

9 Claims. (Gl. 263-47) This invention relates to a container' and more particularly to a container for reels or coils o Wire during heat treating.I

In the Wire annealing industry solid flat steel ,5, plates have been used in some casesr for supporting reels of wire of the type which*r are of such weight as to require cranes to. move them in and while being transformed to andfrom the furnace. When such plates are used they are rather 1Q thick, to supply sufficient strength to support stacks vof suc-h reels,y and in addition to the fact that the/plates do not prevent the reels from fallingv therefrom whenbeing transferred to and from the furnace they-absorb considerable heat l from thefurnace, thus affecting' the time required for annealing and cooling the Wire.

An, object of the invention is to provide a container for more efciently, practically'and expeditiously transporting reels or coils of Wire.

24o With `this and other objects in View, the invention comprises an open metal frame substantially cylindrical in contour and divided by vers tical partitions into reel receiving compartments surrounding a central reel receiving compart- 25. ment, the. partitions havingfinclined. guide portions projecting above the frame to guide the reels into the compartments during loading.

Other objectsA and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed descriptionv `taken in s()` conjunction with the. accompanying. drawing,

`Wherein Fig',y 1 is a perspective view of the container, portions thereof being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional View. taken 35 alongthe line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view takenl alongthe line 3,-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring. now to the drawing, a frame or hollow body portion, cylindricalin general contour,

` 50 and in addition to being secured to the annular f elements I2, I3 and I4 are secured at their lower endsi to the annular elementA II, which in the present instance is angular in cross section, forme ing. a supportingedge I'II for the container and an 55,...- annularA shoulder upon` which n a sheet. metal `tion of atmosphere.

plate forming the bottom memberv I8 of the container is disposed and to which it is secured.

In the present embodiment of the invention the frame is divided into seven compartments, six of these compartments bearing reference .I numerals 2l, 2-2, 23, 24, 25 and 26 being positioned circumferentially about a center compartment 2-l. The bottom member I8 is provided with a relatively large aperture for each compartment, the axis of each aperture being in l0 substantial alignment with the axis of a stack of reels when disposed therein. The diameters of the apertures are less than the diameters of the reels to provide supporting ledges at the bottom of each compartment, yet allowing an open l5 space through the apertures for the free circula-` To further assist in the circulation of atmosphere around coils in the compartments, a multiplicity of vsmaller apertures 32 is formed in the bottom portion around each of $0 the larger apertures 3i).

The compartments 2l to 2l inclusive are formed in the frame by sheet metal members formed with a multiplicity of apertures to reduce the material therein and allow free circulation g5 therethrough. One of these members indicated at 35 extends from an edge 3B, where it is secured to the annular elements II to I4 inclusive, at an angle to the position indicated at 3l, where it is bent to extend radially of the annular frame 30 toa position 38, from which position it extends semi-circularly about the center line of the frame to a position 39, where it terminates. A substantially identically formed strip of sheet metal 42 extends at an angle from a position 43, where av it is secured to the annular elements II to I4 inclusive, to a position 44' where it is bent at an angle and extends radially in alignment with its ycorresponding member to the position 39, where it is secured to the end of its corresponding member, and from this position it extends semi-circularly to the position 38, Where it is secured to its corresponding member. The two members 35 and42 form the centralcircular compartment 2l and provide partitions for dividing compartments 45 22-23 and 25-26.

Smaller sheet metal plates 45 and 46 extend at angles from positions 3l and 44, respectively, to which their inner edges are secured, to the anf nular members II to I4 inclusive, to which their 50` outer edges are secured'.

It will be observed that the member 35 forming one half of the central compartment 21 extends above the hollow` body portion the purpose being to prov-ide abutting guides-for the compartrnent-L5V 5,5,

2|, 22 and 26 when placing reels or coils of wire in these compartments. In order to provide an abutting guide for the central compartment the semi-circular portion of the member 42 is extended upwardly from the upper edge of the semi-circular portion of the member 35, as indicated at 48, the outer edges of the portion 48 extending in reverse arcs, as at 49 and 50, to further assist in guiding reels into substantial alignment with the central compartment 21. The semi-circular portion 42 including the extended portion 48 provides abutting guides for the compartments 23, 24 and 25. Partitions 55, 56, 57 and 58 extend radially from their respective semi-circular members 35 or 42, to which their inner edges are secured, to the annular elements H to I4 inclusive, to which their outer edges are secured.

Positioned in the spaces formed by the plates and 46, the angular portions of the members 35 and 42 and the adjacent portions of the annular elements are annular hook receiving sockets or members 50, their inner ends being closed by metal plates 5i and secured with the plates to the adjacent portions of their respective strips and members, while their outer ends extend through apertures in diametrically opposed vertical elements i6, to which they are secured. The angular formations of the partition members 35 and 42 and their associated members 45 and 46 serve to pi'otect the hook receiving members 69 from reels or coils of wire when disposed in the adjacent compartments. The purpose of the hook receiving members is to receive suitable hooks or attachments of a crane when transporting the container to and from a furnace.

The container is designed primarily for use in holding a plurality of reels or coils of wire of the type which, due to their Weight, require the assistance of a crane/to transport them to and from a furnace during the heat treatment thereof. The upper edges of the partitions to 58 inclusive, as well as the upper edges of the poi'- tions of the members 35 and 42, serving as partitions between the compartments 22-23 and -25--25 extend upwardly from points adjacent the upper edge of the frame if! to points at their inner extremities in a common plane with the uppermost edge of the member 35. These upper portions of the radially extending partitions serve as guides when moving the i'eels into registration with the compartments.

Let it be considered, for example, that the operator wishes to ill compartment 2l first. A crane equipped with means (not shown) to engage the reels, as, for example, through their hollow hubs, may be employed in lifting the reel of Wire to move the lower edge of the reel above the upper edge of the frame, then by moving the reel laterally toward the center of the container the lower head of the reel will be guided by the angular portions of the partitions 55 and 58 until the reel abuts the portion of the partition member 35, at which time the operator will know that the reel is in alignment with and may be lowered into the compartment 2l. Other i'eels of Wire may be similarly lowered into the compartment 2| until this compartment is iilled, then by directing reels to the other compartments 22, 23, 24, 25 ando26 these compartments may be lled with reels in a similar manner.

A special abutting member 48 is provided for the central compartment 21 and this compartment may be lled by moving the reels rst, vertically to a position abovethe upper edge of the member 35, and then, laterally toward the center of the container until they abut against the portion 48, at which time they may be lowered into the central compartment. After the container has thus been filled with reels, or, if desired, coils of wire, it may be raised by the aid of a crane, the lifting hooks of which are engaged in the members El) to transport the container with itsvcontents to a'furnace.

The container has been designed primarily for use in electric bell-type inert gas heat treating furnaces, but it should be understood that the container may be used to transport articles to and from and into and out of furnaces of any desired type. 4The container is sufficiently durable to withstand the weight of several reels, yet it is sufficiently light and formed of the least possible metal so that the amount of heat which it absorbs from the heating elements of the iurnace is reduced to a minimum, thus reducing to a minimum the time required for heat treating and cooling the Wire on the reels. Furthermore, the frame is composed of the spaced annular and vertical members forming large spaced apertures therein, and the bottom member and partitions are formed with apertures for the free circulation of atmosphere through the container and around thereels. The provision of these apertures reduces the weight of the container per se, the material therein to thus reduce the heat absorbed thereby, and allows free circulation of air through and around the contents of the container. With the container it is possible to transfer sacks of reels to and from the furnace more readily without danger of the reels shifting or becoming dislodged therefrom.

Although the invention is herein disclosed as a container for transporting reels and coils of wire to and from a furnace it is obviously not so limited but, is applicable to other elds. The invention is limited only as to spirit and scope by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A container for transporting articles comprising a hollow body portion, a bottom portion therefor, a central partition xed in the body portion to form a central article receiving compartment, and partitions xed to and extending transversely-from the centralpartition to form outer article receiving compartments in the body portion around the central compartment, the central partition extendingY above the body portion and serving to guide articles into the outer compartments. l

2. A container for transporting heavy articles comprising a hollow body portion, partitions disposed in the body portion to form compartments therein and iormedto vertically align laterally moving articles with-the compartments, and lifting hook receiving 'members xed to the body portion. Y

3. A container for transporting heavy articles comprising a body portion with apertured side Walls and bottom portion, partitions disposed in the body portion to form compartments, the ap` ertures in the bottom portion being substantially centrally disposed relative to their respective compartments to form supporting ledges for articles disposed in the compartments.

4. A container for transporting heavy articles to be heat treated comprising a body portion formed or spaced annular' strips secured to spaced vertical strips and an apertured bottom portion, and radially extending partitions disposed in the body portion to divide the latter into a plurality of compartments.

5. A container for transporting heavy articles to be heat treated comprising a body portion formed of spaced annular strips secured to spaced vertical strips and an apertured bottom portion, an annular partition disposed in and extending above the body portion to form a central compartment therein, and radially extending partitions disposed in the body portion and having upper edges extending upwardly from the upper edges of the body portion.

6. A container for transporting heavy articles to be heat treated comprising a body portion formed of spaced annular strips secured to spaced vertical strips and an apertured bottom portion, an annular partition disposed in and extending above the body portion to form a. central coinpartment therein, and radially extending partitions disposed in the body portion and having upper edges extending upwardly from the upper edges of the body portion, one portion of the annular partition extending above the other portion thereof.

7. A container for transporting articles comprising a body portion having an open end, and partitions fixedly disposed in the body portion to form compartments therein and having their upper edges extending above the said open end to align laterally moving articles with the compartments.

8. A container for transporting articles comprising abody portion having an open end, Walls forming a central compartment disposed in the body portion and extending above the open end thereof, and partitions extending radially from the said Walls in the body portion and above the said open end to form article receiving compartments. i

9. A container for transporting articles comprising a body portion having an open end, Walls forming a central compartment disposed in the body portion and extending above the said open end with one Wall extending above another to form a guide, and partitions extending radially from the said Walls in the body portion and. above the said open end to form article receiving compartments and guide articles to the compartments.

SHRYOCK P. MCDANIELS. 

